The present invention relates to cutting tools. More specifically, the present invention provides a stem removing tool comprising a pair of elongated arms pivotally secured to one another at a common pivot point. The arms comprise a handle on a first end thereof and a rotary blade on a second end thereof, wherein the blades are parallel to one another and adapted to rotate so as to cut objects, such as stems of vegetables and herbs, when rolled along the surface thereof. A spring is disposed between the second end of the arms so as to allow the blades to adjust in distance from one another in order to cut and remove stems having varying widths.
Many individuals do not enjoy eating the stems of herbs and leafy vegetables due to the texture and bitter taste. Therefore, an individual will remove the stems from such vegetables and herbs when cooking. Some individuals use a knife to cut the leaves or herbs off of the stem by making several cuts on both sides of the stem in order to remove the stem therefrom. However, it is time consuming to cut individual leaves off of the stem and repeat the process on the opposite side of the stem. Therefore, there exists a need in the prior art for a device that enables individuals to efficiently remove stems from leafy green vegetables, herbs, and the like.
Devices have been disclosed in the prior art that relate to cutting tools. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent application publications. These devices generally relate to hand-held cutting tools having multiple rotary blades, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,539,679, 1,465,075, and U.S. Patent Application Publication Number 2012/0096719. Another device, U.S. Pat. No. 6,643,936, generally relates to a hand-held cutting tool having an adjustable rotary blade.
These prior art devices have several known drawbacks. The devices in the prior art fail to provide a stem removing tool having an elongated handle with a pair of blades on an end thereof that are arranged parallel to one another and on the same axis and are adjustably separated by a spring. Some devices include rotary cutters having multiple blades parallel to one another, however, the blades are separated at a fixed distance and are unable to adjust according to the size of the object to be cut. Another device includes a rotary blade that is adjustably secured to a handle, via a spring, in order to move between a locked and unlocked position. However, the device fails to provide a pair of rotary blades capable of cutting a strip at a single time. Thus, the prior art devices fail to disclose a stem removing tool that can be adjusted in order to cut strips of varying widths.
In light of the devices disclosed in the prior art, it is submitted that the present invention substantially diverges in design elements from the prior art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing stem removing tools. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.